Tales from the Parts Shop
by Teacup Countess
Summary: (A revised version of one of my stories) A Box of Cassette tapes, numbered. Toaster and friends are curious, but will they like what they hear?
1. If It Ain't Got that Swing

**_A/N- I have a new framing device for this story. And this story has an actual plot! Bold/Italics is voice on a tape recorder._**

**_1- If It Ain't Got that Swing_**

* * *

_From the Journal of Eddie St. Peters:_

_To be honest, I had to do a short film for my final exam in my film making class._

_I had to film it while checking in on my Uncle's shop. Inspiration struck me: what if those old machines could talk?_

_A bunch of my friends and I decided to film it in the main area._

_For each machine, I had to design a human version..._

A picture of a masked man in a fancy brown suit has been paperclipped to the entry. His teeth are sharp and there's a tear in his coat. Below the picture is written "Ludovico as the Phonograph".

* * *

Chris pushed a box onto Rob's desk.

"What's that?" Rob asked.

"Dad found these in the workroom." Chris said. She pulled one tape out of the box. Each one had been numbered from one to fourteen. "Should we give these a listen?"

"Maybe later."

The two left for class.

Toaster shook. Lampy looked at the tapes. "What are these?"

"Cassette tapes, from the looks of it." Radio said.

Fantine and Cassius peered from around the corner.

Cassius looked like he was going to faint.

Fantine charged into the dorm room. "Hey! Those are ours! Where'd you find them?"

Toaster backed away. "Um, Master found them."

Cassius entered the room.

"Why don't we see what's on them?" Radio said.

Fantine hopped on the desk. "They really want to hear it?" Cassius made his way onto the desk. (with a little help from Blanky)

Cassius felt the tape being crammed into his "mouth". The play button was pressed.

**_Oh, is this thing on? _**A male voice with a thick Italian accent asked.

A familiar voice replied. **_It's on._**

The speaker cleared his throat. _**Oh, Buongiorno! I am the Maestro.**_

"Do we know this guy?" Toaster asked.

"Oh, he's the one who played the music..." Fantine chuckled.

_**Let me share my story. I remember the day I awoke in my Mistress's abode. I was the centerpiece of one of her many gatherings. People would come from all over Light City to dance away their troubles.**_

Maestro paused to play a snippet of some jazz tunes.

**_Ah, but good times don't last forever. The second world war cost Mistress's son a leg. I was left in the attic for decades, just gathering dust. Until some of Mistress's relatives cleared out the attic. They took me to a shop in order to see if I worked._**

Maestro laughed slightly. **_Instead of being tested, I got partially disemboweled. _**A pause. **_Well, that was a few months after I arrived there._**

A voice nearly out of microphone range, said. **_Hey, how's life here?_**

Maestro paused to address the shouter. _**Cornelia, please. I'm getting there. **_Maestro cleared his throat. **_Well, this is only marginally better than a dusty attic._**

Cassius rewound the tape, spat it out and put it back in the box. "Quick, before the humans find out."

Cassius and Fantine quickly darted out of the room.

* * *

Mish-mash arose from her makeshift coffin. She dragged herself over to the shelf. Her eyes widened. "There was a box here!"

Igor swung down from the ceiling. "Oh, Mr. Vazquez must've taken it? What did it have in it?"

"Remember the tapes we made?" Mish-Mash said. The hanging lamp nodded. "Well, it's gone."

Igor stared dumbfounded.


	2. Cracking Up

_**2- Cracking Up**_

* * *

_Casting "Tales from the Parts Shop" was simple: just take my friends and assign them an appliance. I took photos of each appliance and everyone had to draw names out of a hat. Ludovico got the Phonograph, Herbie got the broken TV._

_Of course, I couldn't have done this without his help. He's big into special effects make-up and helped bring the actors to life._

_The picture I used is one of his works... which he used for himself._

A photo of a pale man with a brown buzzcut in a tattered blue suit is paper-clipped to the entry. He has a slit-mouth grin. Written below the photo is "Herbie as the TV".

* * *

Toaster looked at the box of tapes. Rob had written "CHEESY ITALIAN PHONOGRAPH" on the first one right below the number one.

"You just missed him," Lampy said. "He listened to it." He turned to Radio. "What's improv?"

"Why are you asking me?" Radio asked.

"Master mentioned something about Improv. He thinks what he uncovered is a series of recordings. They... uh..."

"A bunch of aspiring comedians given a prompt?" Kirby finished.

Cassius and Fantine made their way back into the room.

Cassius shuddered. Fantine thumbed around in the box and pulled out Tape Two. She fit into the tape recorder.

There was a groan. **_Do I have to?_**

"Well, Artie, everyone else is doing it," a warm, feminine voice said. "So you might as well."

**_You want it. You got it. My name is Artie and I'm worthless. Look, my screen is cracked. Who wants a broken TV? _**Another groan. _**My master was a college kid.**_ Fantine had gotten off the bed, after pressing the stop button.

"Where are you going?" Cassius said, mouth full of tape.

Fantine returned a few minutes later with a TV following her.

Cassius glanced at the TV. "Artie? You found him?"

Artie smiled. "Well, heard from Fantine we're listening to our old tapes."

The five just looked at him strangely. "I got better!" Artie said. "No more cracked screen! I work."

Fantine slapped Cassius's play button.

**_It was after a big football game. Cheese and sauce stained the floor and Master's buddy crashed on the couch._**

**_He got up. I thought he was awake but his eyes were closed. I shuddered, trying to get free of the entertainment center, but I couldn't move._**

**_He pushed the table into my face._**

"Ah, memories," Artie said. He paused. "We're getting to the part I don't like, aren't we?" The smile disappeared from his face.

Fantine nodded.

**_Master and his friend had an argument. I was yanked out of the wall and they drove to a river. They tossed me in. _**Past Artie made gagging noises.

**_I tasted river water and floated downstream. That's when Mr. St. Peters found me. He took me, cleaned me off, then ripped out some of my wires._**

That's when the recording ended.

"Wow, do we know that river?" Lampy asked.

Kirby snorted. "The only one I know was the one I saved you from."


	3. Delinquent

_**3- Delinquent**_

* * *

_Dave was my sketch artist. I gave him the photos and he designed the human equivalent. Of course, he listened to the recordings while sketching. During the first week of my uncle's vacation, I found these weird tapes in the backroom._

_He got a feel for what each character was like. All of them, though, had a few unifying features: pale skin, dark circles around their eyes, tattered clothes and unkempt hair._

_For the phonograph, he pictured a 20's party guest gone mad. The TV was an injured news reporter. The pencil sharpener was a school teacher._

The photo provided is of a stocky man in a suit, tie and slacks. The text below it reads "Dave as the Pencil Sharpener."

* * *

The marker was still fresh when Lampy read Tape Two's label. DEPRESSED TV.

Cassius and Fantine joined the group.

Lampy fished tape three out of the box.

Cassius shrugged and opened his mouth. The tape fit in nicely.

**_Okay, okay. Ya wanna know about me? Fine. I'm Sharpe and I used to work in a school._** He paused. **_I was all excited about the summer break. It's just us appliances in there._** He chuckled a bit. **_Well, except the occasional janitor visit. _**Sharpe sighed. **_Too bad I never got to see summer break._**

**_Why not? _**Past Fantine asked.

Fantine shuddered.

**_Well, the class trouble maker stole me. Tyler Dobson. He shoved me into his backpack. _**Sharpe made a noise. **_Igor, get me the trash can. I'm gonna be sick._**

The sound of a trash can being nudged. Sharpe threw up in it. **_Okay. Just remembered how bad it smelled. He then ditched me in the trash can outside school. Don't know how I got out of there, but I did. I ended up trying to get back into school. I couldn't._**

"We have to follow the rules," Radio said. "Can't move in front of humans."

**_I went to the highway, looking for someone to help me. I found myself on Mr. St. Peters' doorstep. He took me in and... _**A deep sigh. **_I sit here today._**

"A school?" Lampy said, happy. "Like the one we're in now?"

"Um, Sharpe was in a high school." Fantine corrected. Cassius spat the tape back into its case.

* * *

Rob returned and listened to the third tape. He took out a marker and wrote GRUMPY PENCIL SHARPENER on the label.

"Hey, why don't we track the group that did all these sketches?" Rob said.

Chris just looked at him suspiciously. "But why would they be in the shop?" She thought. "Hmm, what was the former owners' name again?"

"St. Peters?" Rob replied.

"I'll see if he can tell me about the improv group."


	4. Always Someone Better

_**4- Always Someone Better**_

* * *

_Ah, Sadie. She who basically went through a bunch of thrift store clothes, tattered and stained them (with oil). She was the costume designer. She's seen the photos and Dave's sketches. Her favorite outfit was the one she wore for filming._

_Dave and Sadie listened to the fourth tape and they both came to a conclusion. The turquoise fan was a girl, and not the most mature individual._

The picture provided is a young woman with very short dyed turquoise hair. She's wearing a knee-length dress, white socks and Mary Janes. This one's labeled "Sadie as the Fan".

* * *

Fantine glanced at the tape box. "Hey, wasn't I fourth in recording?"

Cassius nodded. "Well, we have to relive the past." The tape was in Cassius's mouth before Fantine could put it in herself.

**_Oh, hi! _**Fantine's chipper voice said, though heavily altered by the recording. **_I'm Fantine and I'm a desk fan._**

Fantine shivered.

"What's wrong?" Toaster asked

"Just listening to myself talk is giving me the chills." Fantine replied.

**_I used to live in a nice house. Though, I spent most of the time in the garage. I had company. Marge, the minivan and assortment of power tools. My last days in the house began one day in May. It was hot and they fished me out to cool down someone's room. Master's mom mentioned getting something bigger._**

"Are we getting to the part where she shows up?" Fantine asked. She pressed Cassius's stop button. Cassius nodded. "I still hate her."

"Who's she?" Blanky asked.

Fantine glanced at the crowd. "Did you ever have a run-in with Cutting Edge appliances?"

The five looked at each other, then back at Fantine. "Uh, yeah. They kicked us into a dumpster."

"But they were so sorry they did it," Lampy said.

"They're not so bad," Radio added. "We had a civilized discussion and everything."

Fantine just stared off into the distance. "Wonder if Esther listens to reason."

_**Master came home from school. His mom had already put a large box in his room. I watched as they set up this new fan. She was tall and white. They pulled my plug and plugged her in. She said her name was Esther and that she was replacing me. **_Past Fantine sniveled. _**I hate her. She's such a...**_

"Oh, holy mother of Edison, was I this immature?" Fantine grumbled. Cassius fast forwarded through Past Fantine's rant. "Thanks."

**_Then Esther slapped a price tag on me and I was carted off to a yard sale. I sat beside a box of video tapes. Mr. St. Peters bought me for five bucks. I spent my first night on the shelf being given the whole "You're gonna die" lecture._**

"I never thought I'd give that lecture to others," Fantine said. "I'm sorry about scaring you."

Toaster put her plug on Fantine's "shoulder". "It's alright."

* * *

Rob picked up the marker and wrote CHILDISH DESK FAN on the tape.

"I couldn't find Mr. St. Peters' number, but there's someone with that name in this school," Chris told him. "He's in my English class. I'll talk to him. Maybe he knows about the tapes." The two left.

A note fell out of the box. Lampy hopped closer.

"There are two sides to everything, just as there are two sides to every cassette tape." It was signed Eddie. He flipped it over. "Thanks to Ludovico, Herbie, Dave and Sadie for submitting their recordings."

"Wait, who are these?" Lampy asked.


	5. Off the Deep End

_**5- Off the Deep End**_

* * *

_Marco was the one who let us crash in his living room for planning. His mom cooked enough food to feed an army and we were grateful._

_He picked the megaphone out of the hat and used an old lifeguard uniform as his costume. We just had to make it look like he drowned. That old megaphone was dropped in a swimming pool after all._

A picture of a blond man with bluish skin in a tattered lifeguard uniform is the picture provided. "Marco as the Megaphone".

* * *

Tape Five's case lay open on the desk. Cassius was all set to play it.

**_Friends! I give you the tale of Dewey Decibel. _**A loud, obnoxious voice said.

An awkward silence, accompanied by a couple coughs, answered him. **_Oh, maybe I should use another approach. My name is Decibel. Long ago, I worked in a swimming pool. I was always in the lifeguard stand._**

"Ooh, I've never been to a pool!" Lampy said.

"We went swimming once, and that was enough," Kirby replied.

**_Now, Master was a good lifeguard. He saved a lot of people. But this man in red trunks wasn't the strongest of swimmers._**

Cassius's eyes twisted. He stopped playback. "That was my old master." Playback resumed.

**_Master climbed out of the chair, accidentally pulling his bag down. I wound up face first on the concrete. I watched him save the man. _**A pause. _**That's when he kicked me into the deep end. He didn't leave me in there, though. Next thing I know, I was in the dumpster. **_Decibel coughed. _**A gust of wind blew me out of the dumpster and onto the road. **_

_**That's when he picked you up? **_A voice said.

**_Indeed._****_ Though I thank him for pulling a used bandage out of my mouth. Public pools are dirtier than one may think._**

"Decibel?" Radio thought. "I think I remember him." He did the radio equivalent of clearing his throat. "Jailbreak! Jailbreak! Jailbreak! Woop! Woop!"

Fantine smiled. "I remember that day. I thought I'd never see the outside world again." Her gaze darted to Lampy. "And I have you to thank."

Lampy blushed. "Oh, I wouldn't have done that without inspiration."

"That's what we did?"

* * *

Lampy looked at the newly marked tape. OBNOXIOUS MEGAPHONE

He tilted the box, looking for more notes from the group. Sure enough, he found one.

"Hey, Marco, excellent work. Though using an actual megaphone is kind of weird."

"Any more notes?" Toaster called out.

"Master wasn't listening to what we heard."

Cassius hung his head. "Did I forget to rewind? I must have." He paused. "Someone must have recorded something on the B-side."


	6. Lost in Transport

_**6- Lost in Transport**_

* * *

_Luke had to schedule work in the project around his band practice. He shaved his head so that he didn't have to wear a bald cap for the makeup. His character was that old lamp that's been on the shelf for years. The one missing the harp and the shade. (Luke also didn't really appreciate wearing suspenders. It made him look dorky.)_

_He and Ludovico did the music for the opening and closing credits._

_One thing that Luke liked about his character was, well, a certain effect that Herbie had prepared._

A bald man in a plaid shirt, suspenders and slacks is the subject of the provided photo. He looks like he got a botched brain surgery. One of his suspenders and a couple buttons on his shirt are missing.

* * *

Rob and Chris were at class, which meant it was time for the next tape.

**_Asimov. _**Igor's voice could be heard. **_Please, we'd like to hear your story?_**

**_Hmph. _**Asimov said. **_What's in it for me?_**

The sound of something being lowered from the ceiling. **_I've got this slightly-used copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It's an... interesting read. I don't need it._**

**_All right, you've got me. I'll do it._**

**_I'm a lamp of my word. _**Igor let the book fall to the floor.

**_I used to be in a library. I had the backroom all to myself._**

"Who's Asimov?"

Fantine paused. "He was skinny and missing a shade." A pause. "And he was useful in our little puppet show."

**_I loved books ever since I was placed back there. Lord of the rings, the works of Poe... name it, I read it. One day, a lamp came barging into my room. He said we were moving the next day. _**Asimov sighed. **_Serves me right for not interacting with the others._**

_**Well, what did the new library look like? **_A voice asked.

_**I don't know. I never went inside.**_

"Hope he made it back," Fantine sighed. "He's been in the shop for years. Or at least that's what Igor said."

**_The idiots running the moving company forgot to take me out of the truck. Brightly got out, but that skinny lamp in the back? He stayed. They drove back to the site and found me. If I stayed, they would've given me to the library. I did something stupid. I jumped out of the truck._**

_**And then you lost energy and Mr. St. Peters came to get you. **_Igor said.

**_I was getting to that, but... yeah. And then I find out my shade went missing._**

* * *

Rob marked the sixth tape ANTISOCIAL LAMP.

"Asimov... as in Isaac Asimov?" Rob said.

Chris nodded. "Hey, the St. Peters I was talking about. Eddie, Eddie St. Peters. I may have arranged a chat with him."

The two left.

Lampy took the time to look for more notes.

"I've picked the best... good job Luke. And I'll see you at this weekend's show. Creek Widow is one of my favorite local bands."


	7. Steamed

_**7- Steamed**_

* * *

_Eli was our script writer. He transcribed the recordings. (Who's idea was it to give the Apple computers apple names?) His character was a waffle iron with frayed cord. It was Dave's idea to make the waffle iron a vampire. (It... err... he did look like he had fangs.)_

The picture shows a young man in a stained ripped waiter's uniform. His hair is slicked back and dark, eyes burning red. His right arm looks like it's been torn to the bone. "Eli as the Waffle Iron."

* * *

**_I... hate... dogs! _**An angry male voice shouted. The next tape was in Cassius's mouth, already playing.

**_Wow, Batter, you haven't even gotten to your story. _**Asimov said. **_And you've already spoiled the ending._**

**_You better watch it, ya big brass toothpick._**

**_Gentlemen!_** Igor interrupted. **_We are here to record our stories, not do Mr. St. Peters' work for him._**

The two combatants growled at each other.

**_Anyway, I'm a waffle iron. I lived with my mistress in her apartment. And with her dog._** Batter made a noise.

"So, I wasn't alone in the whole, holding a grudge thing?" Fantine said. Cassius nodded.

**_I hated Tootsie. She's responsible for why I'm here. She gnawed on my cord. Mistress had whipped up a nice batter and found my cord frayed. Mistress dumped me off here._**

* * *

Rob had left the words ANGRY WAFFLE IRON on the label.

Lampy checked for more notes.

"I'd like to thank Eli for transcribing all the recordings. You put Red Delicious through a lot of work. And your performance as an Angry Waffle Iron was great."

"Red Delicious? Who's that?"

"There's a computer lab somewhere on the first floor," Toaster said. "I think there is. Why don't we talk to one of them?"

The group descended the staircase and walked down the hall. A door marked Computer lab was the first door on the left.

Laughing could be heard inside. Kirby pushed open the door.

The laughing ceased as nine pairs of eyes stared at the group.

"Excuse me," the one closest to the door said. "But were you invited?"

Lampy backed away. "Uh, we're here..."

"To ask questions!" Fantine said. "Okay, which one of you is Red Delicious?"

Eight computers burst out laughing. The one in the center cringed.

"That's him! In the middle." The one closest to the door said. "I'm Fuji."

The group walked down the aisle to where Red Delicious sat. "Ignore my embarrassing name," he said. "The ones who installed me named all of us after Apples."

"We're Apple computers after all!" The computer to Red Delicious's left said.

"That's Honeycrisp," Red Delicious said. "So, what do you want to ask me?"

"Um, did you have anything to do with cassette tapes?" Radio asked. "My friends were listening to some."

An hourglass icon appeared on Red Delicious's screen. "Let me think. Oh, yes." His screen returned. "Some dark-haired guy spent hours on me a while ago. He listened to a series of weird voices and wrote what they said."


	8. Road Tripped

**_8- Road Tripped_**

* * *

_I, the project director, got cast as the tape player. Well, I can't help what I pulled out. I had to wear prosthetic teeth and enough "tape" to make an Egyptian mummy. I'd like to thank Polly for fabricating the tapes. It made my part of the film convincing._

A skinny, snaggle-toothed young man with curly red hair and freckles is the picture's focus. He's partially wrapped in tape ending in three fake cassette tapes. In black letters below the picture are the words "Eddie as the Tape recorder."

* * *

"Is the next tape mine?" Cassius asked.

"Did you record this one?" Toaster asked.

"No, for the most of them, I was the recording unit."

Fantine hopped to his side. "We had another tape recorder in the shop when we recorded these. We used that one for Cassius's tape."

"A tape recorder being recorded by another tape recorder?" Cassius said. "Strange world."

**_H-hi. _**Past Cassius said. **_I, uh, I'm from Oregon. My master used to take me on road trips. I've been to a lot of places on the West Coast. My last trip involved Master visiting his parents._**

**_Master was taking forever to bring me out of the car, so I left. I had to hide from humans. The old couple living next door to my Master's family wanted to throw me out. I wanted to get back to safety, but I fell onto the pavement._**

"That explains my previous teeth situation." Cassius said. "These new buttons make me look much better."

* * *

The label on Cassius's tape read TIMID TAPE RECORDER.

Lampy took it and hopped to the computer lab.

Red Delicious immediately woke up.

"Oh, hello, what brings you back?" Lampy put the tape on the desk. "Do you want more information on the guy?" He paused. The hourglass icon appeared on his screen. "Oh, I couldn't hear a word that was on the tapes. He had headphones on."

"But do you have the documents?" Lampy asked.

"Sorry, they were deleted moments after I printed them out."

Lampy returned. The others were crowded around a note.

"I'd like to thank... well, myself. I recorded the lines for Timid Tape Recorder- Eddie"

* * *

Rob, Chris and a third person sat in the common area. He was a scrawny redhead with freckles in a band T-shirt and jeans.

"This is Eddie?" Rob asked.

The young man nodded. "Yep, Eddie St. Peters. My uncle used to own a machine shop."

"Do you know anything about a box of tapes?"

"My uncle asked me to look after the place while he was on vacation for a couple weeks. One day, I arrived and found a box of tapes under one of the shelves."


	9. One For the Archives

**_9- One for the Archives_**

* * *

_Jessica was introduced to the project by Dave. She was the assistant costume designer. She helped Sadie tatter and stain clothes. She made her own outfit for her part. She was assigned that old reel player, which we learned is, well, very feminine._

A full-figured blonde woman is the in the picture. She's wearing a white dress with a pair of tape reels on the bodice. The picture is labeled "Jessica as the Reel Player".

* * *

"Ooh! I know who's next!" Fantine giggled. "Loretta."

Cassius glanced at the confused crowd. "Uh, she's a little hard to miss. She's got..."

"A charming personality." Fantine corrected.

"I was going to mention her..."

Fantine pointed her cord at Blanky. "Don't say it! Children in the audience."

"Uh, who?" Toaster asked.

"You must be the new boys in town..." Fantine mused, trying to strike a pose.

"Oh, the reel player!" Radio said.

"Loretta's made it big in the business," Cassius said as the next tape was being taken out of the box.

"She's in Hollywood!"

"Well, she appeared as a bit of scenery on one show."

_**Oh, hey. It's my turn to talk. I'm Loretta and I'm a reel player. Long ago, I used to work for a radio station. They made archives of their programs. And that was my job. **_A sigh. **_Too bad it stormed the last day I ever recorded._**

Blanky curled into a ball. "He's still traumatized by the storm." Toaster explained.

_**My masters saved everything, but I went into hiding. I only was found decades later by the demolition crew. They sent me here.**_

* * *

Loretta's tape now had the label SEDUCTIVE REEL PLAYER.

Another note surfaced. "Thanks, Jessica, for your performance."

* * *

Fantine scratched her head. "Uh, we may have seen the one responsible for the tapes."

"You have?" Toaster asked.

"Mr. St. Peters had a relative of his look after the shop." Cassius said. "To make sure no one steals anything. But who would take a bunch of broken appliances?"

"We decided to record our stories that week."


	10. A Kernel of Truth

_**10- A Kernel of Truth**_

* * *

_Polly made some of the props, including my tapes, Jessica's reels, and Gregory's cable. (He will be featured later.) She got cast as an old air popper._

A young woman with frizzy blonde hair is the picture's focus. She's wearing a tank top, shorts, white socks and tennis shoes. The label is "Polly as the Popcorn Maker".

* * *

Fantine glanced at the next tape. "This one's Corny's! This one's Corny's!"

"Corny?" Radio asked.

"Her best friend from the parts shop," Cassius explained. "A popcorn machine. Her real name's Cornelia."

"One question, how'd you do the whole song?" Radio asked.

"The song?" Fantine asked. "Maestro was the orchestra, we, uh..."

"Just went with it?" Cassius chuckled.

**_Well, about time I recorded my tale. My name's Cornelia. Before I got stuck here, I was loved. When the big game was on, Master and Mistress used me to make popcorn._**

**_However, one day, I started tasting smoke. Something was burning within me. Then, they got a new air popper. Poppet, she was called. I was sent here and he unblocked my air tube. And took something out of me._**

* * *

A student walked by, carrying a package. He set it down before walking off.

Fantine hopped by. Something within the package was struggling.

She paused to inspect it. "Hey, Cassius, get over here."

Cassius walked by.

"Something's in there." Fantine took a letter opener and carefully slit the tape.

A paper bundle lay in a sea of packing peanuts. She cut the ties.

"Finally!" a too familiar voice said. "That's the last time I'm traveling via postal service."

Fantine just stared at the appliance. "Cornelia?"

The popcorn machine shook. "Fantine?"

The two hugged.

"What brings you here?" Fantine asked.

"My new family sold me to the college," Cornelia replied. "I'm gonna be making popcorn for college kids."

* * *

Rob's label now read TOMBOYISH POPCORN MACHINE.

Lampy found another note.

"Thanks, Polly. I have four more people to ask."


	11. Trouble's Brewing

_**11- Trouble's Brewing**_

* * *

_Flynn's role on the cast was the lighting guy. That lamp in the back room had its... err... his bulb burn out and we had to change it. (The one my uncle keeps saying is possessed, but that old lamp never gave me any trouble.) Flynn was assigned that old percolator. Polly had to make a couple arm pieces for him._

_I told him that he should move his arms stiffly during his part._

A man with short-cropped red hair is in the next picture. He has a patch over one eye. Both arms look like metal forks. This one is labeled "Flynn as the Percolator."

* * *

Fantine, Cassius, and a third appliance sat on the bed. An orange percolator with a single eye.

"Who's this?" Lampy asked.

"Oh, you don't recognize me? Do I have to dive out a cabinet again?" His voice was a formal British accent. "I'm Percy."

Kirby just glanced at him. "What happened to your forks?"

Percy glanced at his sides. "They were unnecessary, so the repairman removed them."

Cassius fit the next tape into his mouth.

**_Hello. My name is Percival, but you may call my Percy. Decades earlier, I was in a nice family home. My master used to use me to make coffee in the mornings._**

**_It was during the seventies that I met my foe. Someone who was about to take my place. Drusilla, that wretch..._**

Fantine wrinkled her nose. "So, I'm not the only one phased out by new technology. Cornelia just broke."

**_I was immediately thrown in the trash, but a wind storm knocked me into the street. He picked me up and... installed these forks on my sides._**

* * *

Rob picked up the marker. FLAMBOYANT PERCOLATOR.

Lampy dove in the box. The sound of metal against plastic echoed.

"What are you doing in there?" Fantine asked.

Lampy resurfaced. "Um, looking for notes." A slip of paper covered his head. Fantine took the note in her teeth.

"Another fine performance. Flynn."

Flynn wrote down a bit.

"I wonder, where'd you get these?"

Eddie wrote his response below it. "They were in a backroom in my uncle's shop. I don't know who made 'em."


	12. Can't Stand the Heat

_**12- Can't Stand the Heat**_

* * *

_Carlos did the heavy lifting for the project. No coincidence that his character was the stove. Sadie had to burn his costume a little._

A linebacker-type guy with tan skin and dark hair in a burnt chef's outfit is in the picture. The picture's label is "Carlos as the stove"

* * *

"Is that one the stove's?" Blanky asked.

Fantine looked at him. "It is."

"Hey, remember when he basically ate us?"

"Or that's what it looked like," Cassius said. He fit the tape into his mouth.

**_Well, it's time I told my story. My name is Cooke. Ah, before I was dumped here, I worked in the kitchen of an Italian grandmother. _****_Chicken _****_Parmesan, Lasagna... _**He paused. **_I made it all. However, her son was a bit too clean. He shorted out my igniter._**

**_One of Mistress's other sons pitched in for another stove. I was ripped out and placed on a truck. The last thing I saw before the truck pulled away was the new stove being delivered._**

* * *

The marker was still wet. Lampy read the label WARM-HEARTED STOVE.

"Are there any notes?" Toaster asked.

Lampy resurfaced from the box. "This one."

"Carlos, thanks. All I need are two more actors."

* * *

Cornelia looked in the room. "Hey, are those the tapes we made?"

Fantine nodded.

"But how'd they get here?"

"The shop's been renovated," Cassius said. "It's a repair shop now."


	13. Three In One

**_13- Three in One_**

* * *

_Bella was Herbie's assistant, and ended up being a favorite among the others in Herbie's club. Well, not only was she lovely, but her make-up job was incredibly effective._

_Well, she got assigned that can opener/lamp/shaver thing my uncle kept around the shop. We had to make it look like she was three people sewn together. Luckily, we got a hospital gown to dress her in. And show off the fake stitches._

A heavily-scarred woman is sitting on a metal table. She's wearing a hospital gown three sizes too big for her. The text reads "Bella as the Mish-Mash".

* * *

Two more tapes were left unlabeled in the box. Radio dug one out of the box.

"This one's Mish-Mash's..." Fantine said. She glanced at the others. "Yes, that's literally her name."

**_I'm Candice... no, I'm Gladys, no, I'm Barb. _**A pause and a snivel. **_I don't know who I am anymore. Anyway, we once lived in a house down the street. My old master and his wife went on vacation. It was Barb's idea to leave the house. She wasn't the sharpest razor in the drawer. We exited through the pet door. Candice and Gladys tried to reason with Barb, but Barb wanted to stay on the porch._**

"Mish-mash, wasn't she a can opener, a lamp and a shaver?" Radio asked.

Fantine nodded. "She was one of the oldest residents of the shop, well, second oldest."

**_It started to rain a few minutes after we left the house. We rushed to the neighbor's house and hid in a cardboard box. _**She paused. **_Oh, we were so stupid. Our neighbor was Mr. St. Peters. He took us off the porch and put us into the truck bed. We wound up being brought down into the cellar._**

"So, there was a cellar?" Toaster asked.

"I've never been there," Cassius said. "But she did."

**_After a while, I found myself back upstairs. But where were Barb and Candice? My mouth felt weird and my lower half felt heavy. I looked at my reflection in a mirror. What had been done to me?_**

* * *

The tape was labeled SELF-DEPRECATING GIZMO. Another note fell out of the box as Fantine tried to put the tape back.

"Bella, thanks for your performance. I only need one more; do you have any contenders?"

* * *

Eddie sat in the common room. Rob and Chris approached him.

"So, why'd you make the tapes?" Rob asked.

Eddie shrugged. "My friends and I were working on a student film. Those are our auditions." A pause. "So, how many did you hear?"

"All but the last one." Rob said.


	14. Left Hanging

_**14- Left Hanging**_

* * *

_Gregory was our cameraman, though we had to schedule our filming around his work schedule. He was the operator of the Haunted Manor at Shadyside amusement park. He got the "haunted lamp". Wait, the haunted lamp was once the tacky lamp in my aunt and uncle's living room?_

_Well, anyway, we had to make it look like Gregory was suspended by a cable during his part._

The photo shows a pale, hunched over man with greasy dark hair and large eyes. He's wearing a polo shirt, slacks and work boots. A stained apron and gloves complete the look. This picture's label is "Gregory as the Hanging Lamp."

* * *

Fantine pulled the final tape out of the box. "That one's Mr. Lorre's?" Radio asked. "Er... Igor's?"

Fantine nodded. "He decided to go last in recording."

Cassius felt the tape go into his mouth.

**_Hehehe, so you want to hear my story? Let's first start off with a tale of an old friend of mine. His name was Fritz, a very handsome living room lamp. About two meters tall. His master bought him through a mail-order catalog. He enjoyed his life... but his master had other plans for him. Fritz overheard his master talk about bringing him into the shop. Shop? Fritz never knew his master owned a shop. He bid his farewells to the blender, the TV, the microwave, the air conditioner... and the next day he was unplugged._**

Maestro played campfire noises during the entire tale.

**_When he came to, he was in the shop. Dismembered appliances all around. A hanging lamp looked like it was ready to fall. His master looked at the lamp, then at Fritz. A wicked idea filled his head. Fritz found himself lying on the table. His master pulled out his tools and set to work. Fritz felt every last twist of the screwdriver, every pull of the pliers. His wiring came out of his casing with one smooth pull._**

A bit of silence.

**_Want to know where Fritz ended up? _**Igor chuckled. **_Well... I was Fritz._**

Confused murmurs erupted from the crowd.

**_If Mr. St. Peters is Frankenstein, then who am I? I'm his assistant, his Igor. For five years, I have watched countless appliances die._**

"So, that means he..." Toaster asked.

"Was just like us," Cassius said. "He's an altered appliance."

The recording continued.

**_Asimov, should I tell the others what you did? _**Igor asked.

_**What? What did I do? **_Asimov replied. He jumped back.

**_Mr. St. Peters never got to know where his drill went._**

Asimov was silent.

**_She hurt Percy... and others. She laughed at us._**

Igor paused. **_If I were in your place, I would have done the same._**

_**Wait, Asimov, you killed someone? **_Batter asked.

**_I didn't kill her, I just... severely incapacitated her. _**Asimov replied.

**_And threw her away. _**Igor added.

"Wait, what?" the five asked.

"Debbie was gone long before Fantine and I showed up," Cassius said. "Luckily, you didn't get to meet her."

"From what Igor, Asimov, Percy and Mish-mash told us, she was a real..." Fantine looked around. "Nightmare."

* * *

Rob picked up the marker and wrote the final label. CREEPY HANGING LAMP

Lampy found the last note taped to the back of the case.

"Gregory! Thanks for answering my request. Now, everything's all set."

* * *

"So, what should we do with the tapes?" Rob asked Eddie.

Eddie glanced at the box. "Probably return them." He smiled. "That haunted lamp might tear the place apart if it wasn't."

Rob just stared at him.

"Oh, I'm kidding." Eddie replied. "But returning them to the shop might be a good idea."

* * *

Lampy glanced at where the box should've been. It its place was a VHS tape. He looked at the label. "TALES FROM THE PARTS SHOP, 8/1/1987"

Fantine hopped onto the desk. "Hey, Cassius, why don't we watch this for our next movie night?"

"Someone else is going to carry that tape," Cassius said.


End file.
